Black Would-Be Mayor Found Dead

Just 3 days before he was to be sworn in as the new Mayor of a small Louisiana town, Gerald Washington, an African American, was found dead in the parking lot of a high school from a gunshot wound to the chest. The town’s coroner claims that Mr. Washington committed suicide, but Mr. Washington’s son found something suspicious in the photos that were taken of his father’s body. Specifically, Mr. Washington was right-handed, but the gun was found near his left hand. Mr. Washington’s family is seeking an investigation to find out if the incident was a hate crime, as they suspect. Mr. Washington would have been the first Black mayor in 24 years. The Justice Department will not investigate until the local Sheriff's department finalizes its report of what happened AND it appears there may have been some wrongdoing.